DJ Joe Gauthreaux...Is Bringing It!

As easy on the eyes as he is on the ears, DJ Joe Gauthreaux makes it his mission to be nimble at the turntables and set the rhythm for the dance floor. Known for taking his talents internationally, "DJ Joe G" is the latest of a growing number of DJ/remix producers that won’t simply settle for club notoriety. The Louisiana native is moving beyond the "Big Easy" and taking on some of the biggest room events on the Circuit scene.

"I always loved dance music, and would make mix tapes for my friends," Gauthreaux said. "In a way I fell into this job." Frequenting the local clubs in his hometown, he got his start playing at the New Orleans club/bar, OZ. "I was really inspired more by actual DJs and producers rather than a specific song or artist." Rick Harrington the premiere DJ at OZ, became one of his favorites. Joe carried around a mix tape that he eventually got into the hands of those in power at OZ.

It got him the opportunity that he needed. "They finally gave me a chance and I landed a couple of happy hour shifts." As fate would have it, the stars aligned one night and the evening DJ headliner wasn’t able to make his shift - leaving the booth wide open for Gauthreaux. "The next week I was promoted to Saturday night."

From OZ and Beyond

He continued to shape his particular and unique style, experimenting with all types of dance music. Following in the footsteps of his mentors and carefully taking note of the growing popularity of premiere producers taking over the big rooms across the country, Gauthreaux also came to admire DJ Susan Morabito who is celebrated for her exciting and soulful skills.

Though he’s since played all across the country and even the world, commanding music festival crowds from Brazil to Asia, Gauthreaux still regards himself as just one of the new kids on the block. "I’m still eager," he admits, "and I’m very competitive." Few DJs exude the enthusiasm that DJ Joe G has for the production art form, an excitement he says still exists outside of the cynics who think that clubland is dying. "We have been privileged for so long here in America," that nightlife is an integral part of our culture. "When you go to another country - like Taipei - the crowd is so grateful," preferring the westernized infusion of house and Euro-dance sounds. "They are just so energized! I know I certainly feel it."

Gauthreaux isn’t sitting on his levels, letting the big guns like AVICCI, Martin Solveig and Swedish House Mafia claim their fame on the music charts.

With the changing dynamic and demand of today’s DJs to compete on the dance charts as an act all of their own, Gauthreaux is also getting into the studio proving he’s a competitive talent as a sought after remix producer. "My ultimate goal is to make my own music and to get as many people as possible to listen to it." He’s taken on productions for Kristine W, The Wanted, Ne-Yo and even Justin Bieber.

Making Music Move

"I came onto the scene when techno was really hot." In the mid-90’s techno music acts like Haddaway were asking "What is Love" and the Real McCoy gave us "Another Night" to move on the go-go box. Some would say that these artists presented the downfall of the then rising commercial crossover appeal of dance music. Still others recognize them as the precursor to today’s EDM (electronic dance music) explosion.

To DJ Joe Gauthreaux, the turbulent shifts and cycle of dance music are just part of the gig. It’s all the same to him. The music, whether tribal, house, or electronic has to move him. "I don’t put myself into a box," he says. "I play from the heart. The track just has to have something to grab me - I’m kind of all over the place." There is a method to his madness, and at the end of the night, he wants to give his audience more bang for their buck. "That’s our jobs," he says, "to give the crowd something more."

And Gauthreaux has considerable faith in today’s club goer. "I really do think this new generation is a lot more clued in and have really diverse tastes." They continue to inspire him to step up his game, and raise the bar. "I reach for the stars. I want to make people come out to the party," a party that’s only just begun!

Catch DJ Joe Gauthreaux on the Circuit scene this season when he takes to the beat President’s Day Weekend for Alegria XOXO in NYC, and then turns up the heat at the Winter Party Festival in March in Miami.

For ticket information to Alegria XOXO, NYC on Sunday, Feb. 17 go to www.alegriaevents.com. Heading down to Miami Beach for the Winter Party Festival? You can check out event itinerary and details at www.winterparty.com.

Native New Yorker JC Alvarez is a pop-culture enthusiast and the nightlife chronicler of the club scene and its celebrity denizens from coast-to-coast. He is the on-air host of the nationally syndicated radio show "Out Loud & Live!" and is also on the panel of the local-access talk show "Talking About".